This invention relates to an electronic equipment controlling apparatus and method, an electronic equipment controlling system and an electronic equipment, and more particularly to an electronic equipment controlling apparatus and method, an electronic equipment controlling system and an electronic equipment by which function resources of an electronic equipment connected thereto through a communication line can be utilized effectively.
In recent years, utilization not only of AV (Audio Visual) equipments but also of OA (Office Automation) equipments such as a personal computer in a home has been and is increasing. Thus, it seems a possible good idea to connect such AV equipments and a personal computer to each other through a home network or the like so that the AV equipments are controlled by the personal computer.
However, in a related art home network system, in order to control such AV equipments by means of a personal computer, a user must input and set to the personal computer what AV equipments are connected to the personal computer. Consequently, the related art home network system has a subject in that it is low in operability.
Further, the personal computer recognizes each AV equipment as an equipment which outputs one kind of output or as an equipment which outputs one output with respect to one input. As a result, the related art home network system has another subject in that data processed by a plurality of function units individually built in each AV equipment cannot be utilized by another AV equipment.
Now, it is assumed that, for example, as shown in FIG. 29, an MO (Magneto-Optical Disk) equipment 251, a DVD (Digital Video Disk) player module 261 and a CD-R (Compact Disk Recordable) equipment 271 are connected to each other by a bus. Further, it is assumed that predetermined data is recorded in accordance with the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) 2 system on an MO 253 which is driven by an MO drive 252 of the MO equipment 251. It is also assumed that the data is reproduced to produce data of a format of the MPEG 1 system in accordance with standards for a video CD (Compact Disk) and the data thus produced is recorded onto a CD-R 273 which is driven by a CD-R drive 272 of the CD-R equipment 271.
In order to obtain data of the MPEG 1 system, an MPEG 1 encoder is required. since any of the MO equipment 251, DVD player module 261 and CD-R equipment 271 does not have a built-in MPEG 1 encoder, a converter which includes an MPEG 1 encoder must be prepared separately. Thus, it is assumed that a user purchases an MPEG 1 converter 281 which includes an MPEG 1 encoder 282 and connects the MPEG 1 converter 281 to the bus.
First, the MO 253 is reproduced by the MO equipment 251 to obtain data of the MPEG 2 system.
Then, if it is possible to supply the data to an MPEG 2 decoder 264 of the DVD player module 261, then the data is supplied to the MPEG 2 decoder 264, by which the data can be decoded into data of the Motion JPEG (joint Photographic Experts Group) system. Further, the Motion MPEG data is supplied to the MPEG 1 encoder 282 of the MPEG 1 converter 281, by which it is encoded into MPEG 1 data. Then, the data of the MPEG 1 system is supplied to the CD-R drive 272, by which it can be recorded onto the CD-R 273. The CD-R 273 which conforms with a video CD of the format of the MPEG 1 system can be obtained in this manner.
Actually, however, the DVD player module 261 is constructed such that the MPEG 2 decoder 264 can decode data reproduced from a DVD ROM 263 driven by a DVD-ROM drive 262, but is not constructed such that it can decode external input data by the MPEG 2 decoder 264 and output the resulting data. In other words, the DVD player module 261 is constructed as an equipment of the self-completing type similarly to other AV equipments.
Therefore, after all, for example, as shown in FIG. 30, an MPEG 2 decoder 293 and an MPEG 1 encoder 294 mounted on circuit boards are added to a personal computer (PC) 291 which has a built-in hard disk 292 such that data of the MPEG 2 system outputted from the MO drive 252 is supplied to the MPEG 2 decoder 293 so that it is decoded by the MPEG 2 decoder 293 to obtain data of the Motion MPEG system. Then, the resulting data is supplied to and encoded by the MPEG 1 encoder 294 to obtain data of the MPEG 1 system. Then, the data of the MPEG 1 system is supplied to the CD-R drive 272 of the CD-R equipment 271 so that it is recorded onto the CD-R 273.
In this manner, all functions for data conversion must after all be concentrated upon the personal computer. Consequently, not only the construction of the personal computer 291 is complicated, but also a high cost is required.